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Essential Alvor
Guide for getting about
Planes, trains and buses, a guide to what's on offer for getting out and about.
Taxis
Taxis in and around Alvor are a reliable way to get around, especially for short trips to nearby towns like Portimão or Praia da Rocha. Official taxis are usually beige or black with green roofs. They are metered, with regulated fares, and can be found at designated ranks, booked by phone, or via apps. Many drivers speak basic English, making the service convenient for visitors. Alvor’s main taxi rank is located at the bottom of the village. In addition, ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt are available and work just as they do at home.
Tip: On Portuguese websites, look for the word “Idioma” (language) if you don’t immediately see a set of flags for changing the language.
Bus Services in & Around Alvor
Local buses in the Alvor/Portimão area are operated by Vamus – Transportes do Algarve. Their website is excellent for checking routes and stops: vamusalgarve.pt.
The buses are part of a new fleet and are clean, modern, and generally punctual. One tip: if a bus is running early and no one is waiting, it may leave ahead of schedule. To be safe, aim to arrive at your stop about 10 minutes early.
Trains from Portimão
Portimão has a small railway station on Portugal’s Algarve Line (Linha do Algarve), operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP), the national rail company. This line connects towns along the southern coast and links northwards to Lisbon.
There are three easy ways to buy tickets:
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Online (recommended, via the link above) – the quickest and easiest option.
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At the station – though queues are common.
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On board – from the conductor, if you couldn’t buy in advance.
From Portimão you can travel to:
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Portimão → Lagos (≈ 45 minutes): A local coastal service with beautiful scenery, often described as one of Europe’s most scenic train rides.
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Portimão → Faro (≈ 1h 30m): Eastwards across the Algarve, with stops including Albufeira and Tavira.
Train tickets are affordable (generally under €10). The station itself is modest, but services are reliable and connect easily with local buses and taxis.
Boats from Alvor
From Alvor, you’ll find several boat trip options:
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Coastal tours to the famous Benagil caves and beyond.
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A scenic river cruise up the Arade River to the historic city of Silves.
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Water taxis to Lagos across the bay.
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Sunset cruises watch the setting sun from the sea.
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Deep-sea fishing excursions.
Boats range from speedboats and RIBs to sailing catamarans.
Flying
Portimão has a small airport (PRM), but there are currently no regular direct flights to Lisbon.
Seasonal flights are available with Sevenair, connecting Portimão with Cascais (near Lisbon) and Bragança, with stops in Vila Real and Viseu along the way.
Cascais is a beautiful seaside city about 40 minutes from central Lisbon, known for its beaches, marina, and cultural heritage.
The flight from Portimão to Lisbon takes around 35 minutes (≈ 187 km as the crow flies).
Sevenair Contact:
Aeroporto de Cascais, Hangar 7
2785-632 São Domingos de Rana, Cascais, Portugal
📧 info@sevenair.com
📞 +351 214 444 545
🌍 flysevenair.com
Getting to Lisbon
If you really want to experience our capital city, and direct flights are limited, most travellers use ground transport or fly via Faro Airport:
Bus: Rede Expressos (https://rede-expressos.pt/pt) and FlixBus (https://global.flixbus.com/) run direct buses from Portimão to Lisbon. Journey time: 3–3.5 hours.
Train: From Portimão, change at Tunes to reach Lisbon.
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Regular trains: 4–5 hours, with scenic countryside stops.
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Alfa Pendular (Portugal’s high-speed train) from Tunes: about 2h 30m. Comfortable, modern, with Wi-Fi and a bar service.
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Air: From Faro Airport, TAP (https://www.flytap.com/pt-pt) offers flights to Lisbon, and Ryanair (https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en) flies to Porto.
Car: Driving to Lisbon takes 2.5–3 hours via the A2 motorway (~280 km). A highlight of the drive is crossing the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon — at 12.3 km, it’s the longest bridge in Europe.